First thing's first -- get out of the damn way when mortars are coming down. Push up (or forwards) on your key or joystick to move Mason forwards. You and Woods will drag a concussed Hudson to the bunker, where you should instantly go inside (once you have control) since the spot you're on will be demolished with incoming mortar fire.

You need to quickly take any weapon outside, as the explosions will be constant once it starts. Follow Woods and Hudson through the trenches and stay low.

Note that after the enemy bombardment ceases (or slackens), you can walk back out quickly to swap your M-16 with one that might (random) have an ACOG attachment. The M-60 you're lugging around (seriously ) will be handy for medium and close range fighting. Just remember that if you need to reload, the M-60's animation takes a little while to process.

Reach the next bunker / defence point

The trench will be constantly under assault by the Viet Minh, so you may want to crouch and move against the trench wall to avoid being shot. There is no intel (yet), so stop exploring and get to your next destination.

The fallen M113 marks the halfway point of the first set of trenches. Get to the detonator and wait for Woods' audio signal to "blow up the motherf—ers". Premature detonation will result in reduced casualties for the enemy, and increased opposition for you.

Apart from the scripted ambush by the Vietnamese fighter, you need not worry too much about the encroaching enemies unless they drop into the trench, or have detected and are firing on you. Once you are past the collapsed M113 (tracked box-like APC), you should be in the tank zone.

Destroy enemy armor (tanks)

When you reach the clearing past the crashing APC, you will be beset by enemies past the perimeter. Quickly locate the bazooka tubes in a side bunker, or the sandbagged emplaced position on top of the base (near the fake wall of artillery shells). This is so you can put yourself in a position to defend against the damn tanks.

In the first clearing where you take down two NVA tanks, there is a back wall full of "set-dressing" artillery shells. There are also four haning lights in this ammo shed. The tape player is between the two center lights, next to a white fuel drum.

The tanks are threatening only if they choose to fire on you (and not your dime a dozen, expendable allies). Pick up a bazooka either from the side bunker or atop the hill and zap both pieces of hostile armor before moving on. Note that one of the weapon caches here has an M-14 with ACOG. If you prefer that weapon to the M-16, feel free to do a swap.

Locate the bunker or the lookout point with the M-72 bazookas. You will need a couple to take down the two enemy tanks attacking your hill.

"Defend" the hill

The term "defend" is a misnomer, since you're essentially tasked to either stem the tide of enemies coming in, or (somehow) get past them to the next tunnel (atop the ashened hill). Since Hardened and Veteran will not let you proceed very far without stopping enemy respawns (especially with the rate being so high for this zone), you need to stop the spawns to proceed safely.

This is in a bunker under the left-most napalm jelly barrel you knock over. Ignite the fire wall first, then you can explore. Head to the trench at the bottom of the hill and look back up the hill. Identify the right-most, bottom-most bunker (this is the one where the left barrel was). The tape player is in this bunker, resting on one of its gun-slits.

The game marks the trench that you must avoid but not the two bumble-bee (black and yellow) naplam jelly drums that you have to interact with. These two drums are atop the two bottom bunkers by the trench. Simply use context action and Mason will spill the drum's contents into the trench to create a fire wall.

The two barrels of fire jelly have yellow and black bands. Woods will tip over a third to show you if you're following him. These two barrels you have to do manually (and they are not marked).

Once the fire wall is erected, you can proceed up the ashen hill without worrying about enemies attacking you from behind.

The engagements on the ash hill is a good spot for weapons with ACOG. The top of the hill is a cinematic battle. That .357 Magnum slug makes some great red liquid confetti. Merry F—ing Christmas Charlie!

Head up the ashened hillside and use some marksmanship to down the enemies here. Without the spawns from behind and a safe zone forward, you should be able to proceed up the zone without much trouble.

Take out the final wave of tanks

There is a short bunker run (very few enemies) before you get to the final on-rails sequence with Woods, Hudson, and the NVA tanks. Before you run ahead, there is a secret to find.

Fight up the ashen hill and enter the final tunnel. Before exiting the zone to the LRV/TOW attack versus the six tanks, check the corner to the exit's right. A PVT. Allen will be stumbling around. Behind this NPC is a tape player on the shelf.

You will get on top of a jeep with an M-60 and a bazooka. The n00b tube is useless for the most part -- you will have a guided TOW missile for the tanks (and the launcher has infinite ammo). Switch to the M-60 and keep enemy infantry away by hosing the place when your jeep moves to each new spot.

Use the M-60 if you have soldiers nearby -- you only need to take out as many soldiers as needed to avoid dying. The six tanks are your main concern. There will not be a repeat of Dien Bien Phu this time.

Bonus Task » Tough Economy

Use precisely one guided missile to destroy each tank. You can guide each missile, but it's far better to fire at a slow or stationary target, then make small adjustments (prerably no adjustments) where necessary. If you fail, kill your crew or yourself with repeated missile strikes to your vehicle's body -- you restart at the last checkpoint (note you get a checkpoint for oen tank, then two tanks, killed). If you mess up, focus your energy on getting killed.

The jeep moves between each attack wave. The first wave has one tank, the second has two, and the final wave has three tanks. When the jeep stops, Mason gets on the TOW and cannot exit TADS mode until all the enemies are neutralized. When all six tanks are gone, the mission ends.